


Morning Comes

by faketalesofmilex



Category: Alex Turner - Fandom, Arctic Monkeys, Miles Kane - Fandom, Milex - Fandom, The Last Shadow Puppets
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24428905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faketalesofmilex/pseuds/faketalesofmilex
Summary: Two dudes + One bar + Too many drinks =
Relationships: Miles Kane - Relationship, Miles Kane/Alex Turner, Milex
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	Morning Comes

**Author's Note:**

> An attempt to breathe life into an old, abandoned piece of writing from 2016. Not quite sure where I'll end up going with this, but I think it deserves to see the light of day. If things go well, I may end up expanding on it. Stay tuned to find out.

It was going to be another one of those nights, Miles could already tell. He scanned the dancefloor and the bar for what must've been the hundredth time now and once again was disappointed to find that he couldn't see any of his mates anywhere. Granted, the task was nearly impossible, to begin with, like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack, but Miles had to give it a try at least. 

His mates had fared far better than him. It stung to admit it, but _c'est la vie_ , as the French say. Can't win them all. He and his mates had arrived at the bar no more than forty-five minutes ago and from the look of it, George, Jay, and Eugene hadn't wasted a single second before running off to find some bird with whom to disappear off into a secluded corner. 

So far, it seemed as though he was straight up out of luck. It hadn't been for lack of trying. He'd looked all over for someone who caught his eye, but nobody struck his fancy. The bodies of the people on the dancefloor seemed like nothing more than a raging sea of colours swirling in front of his eyes and the faces seemed altogether too bland and unappealing in every sense of the word.

"Enough of the pity party," He thought to himself, attempting to shake the negative dialogue in his head out of mind with a literal shake of his head. Miles stood up and began making his way to the bar to order himself a drink. After that, he'd go find a dark corner of his own, he thought to himself. 'Course he'd likely be on his own, but he'd have to get used to the idea. He argued with the voice in his head, _"I'm here to have a good time. I need to stop being such a pessimist."_

///

Jamie had been gone for a while now, and it seemed as though Alex might not be seeing his friends for a long while, if at all, for the rest of the night. Jamie had been the one to stay at the table with Alex the longest. He'd tried to no avail to get Alex to go out and mingle, but he quickly figured out that Alex was in one of his moods tonight. Finally, the time came when Jamie slinked off to the bar and he hadn't returned since then. 

When the group had arrived, they'd all sat at a booth which accommodated all four of them, but one by one, they'd gone off to the dancefloor with some girl or another while Alex remained planted to his spot in the furthest corner of the booth. He half wished he could go out and chat up anyone who caught his eye, but that was just it, nobody had caught his eye. He didn't know what to think of that. _"Probably should've just stayed home,"_ He thought. _"Would've saved myself some trouble."_ He added with a sardonic chuckle.

///

Miles made it to the bar with no incident, it was quite a feat given that the dancefloor and bar were absolutely packed with people. The last thing he wanted was to piss someone off by bumping into them. Getting into an altercation with some random drunk at the bar wasn't something Miles wanted to do tonight or any night for that matter. 

He ordered himself a Moscow mule and once again scanned his surroundings for anyone who might capture his attention. Disappointment made its arrival fairly quickly, as he once again saw nobody who piqued his interest.

///

Alex exhaled a deep sigh and then ran his hands across his face. _"This is certainly not my night."_ He thought to himself. He fiddled with the ring on his pinky finger for a few seconds as he deliberated his next course of action. Seconds passed and he decided to make his way to the bar to order himself something to drink. No use moping around at the table on his own. "Right," He mumbled to himself, sighing dejectedly, he got up from the table and started walking in the direction of the bar.

Alex really should've known the night would end up going this way before he left home. He'd been feeling off for a few days now, but he caved to his friend's pleas to come out for a drink with them. More often than not, this was the way things went. It really shouldn't come as a surprise. His mates had seemingly no problem finding company for themselves and making off into the night with their new acquaintances. 

There would be a lonely cab ride back home for him later, but before then, he was determined to get at least a couple of drinks. Might as well try to make the best out of the current situation. Getting a margarita is probably one of the only things that can possibly make this otherwise pointless outing somewhat worthwhile.

///

Once Miles finally had his drink in hand, he started looking around yet again, this time searching for a quiet place to sit, rather than someone who might interest him. That pursuit seemed more pointless with each attempt.

///

Alex stepped up to the bar and managed to get the bartender's attention fairly quickly. It seemed like a small miracle considering the number of people crowded around the bar demanding drinks at any given moment. 

He couldn't stop himself from turning around to scan the crowd in hopes of spotting one of his mates. The action proved pointless. 

The lights are quickly being dimmed, matching the tempo change from the frankly awful pop song blasting from the speakers. Still, the dancefloor looks as crowded as ever, if not more once the song begins, so any hope of being able to recognize anyone in the crowd quickly fizzles out. After that, Alex keeps his gaze to himself. Convinced nobody would spare him a second look, he didn't even bother looking around, searching out a pair of eyes that might be looking in his direction. _"Pointless,"_ The voice in his head reminded him, diminishing any lingering hope of exchanging looks with some beautiful stranger. 

The bartender presented him with his margarita and he couldn't help the pleased smile that spread over his lips. " _This is perfect,"_ He thought at the comforting weight of the drink in his hand and the pleasing aesthetic presentation: the pleasantly pale green liquid filling the tall glass, the perfect salt crystals around the rim of the glass and the slice of quartered lime looked so gratifyingly perfect Alex was almost hesitant to drink from the glass at first. 

Sipping through the straw, he closed his eyes briefly, relishing the burn of the tequila as it flowed down his throat. _"They definitely didn't water this down,"_ He thought, perhaps a bit more content at that fact than some others might be. _"It's the little things,"_ He smiled at the thought. Finding a quiet place to sit would be a challenge, doing so whilst holding a drink he'd rather not spill on the floor before having a chance to fully enjoy and appreciate it would be an even greater one.

The first floor was evidently packed tighter than a tin of sardines, so Alex opted to try his luck at finding a quiet, or rather just a somewhat peaceful place to sit at once he reached the second floor. Crowded bars are probably one of the places furthest from the definition of quiet. He walked carefully, doing his best to avoid bumping into any object on the floor or the people walking around aimlessly in their drunken state with no regard for anyone who might cross their path. 

The climb up the wide stairs to the second-floor deck proved to be the easiest part of the journey for Alex. Funnily enough, uncoordinated drunks don't do well with stairs. He saw a bloke nearly trip over his own feet halfway down the flight of stairs. He grabbed hold of the railing somehow and avoided busting his face on the stairs. The sight made Alex take a mental note to avoid the rowdy drunk types, which that guy most certainly was as he started yelling when the next song began before disappearing into the crowd as he pushed past people with no regard for social graces.

After some wandering around, Alex was finally rewarded with a secluded corner. Thankfully it was just as Alex had hoped, the second-floor deck was definitely a lot less crowded than the lower floor. He couldn't wait to sit down in the dark corner of the booth to drink his margarita in peace. The long bench seats were actually a lot more comfortable than Alex had expected them to be. 

The red faux-leather squeaked as he sat down, settling in comfortably, he was a bit surprised by the content sigh that made it past his lips. Alex dismissed the sigh and leaned back onto the headrest, crossing one leg over his knee. He was glad to have found this unoccupied space. Finally, he took a couple of slow sips from his margarita, once again relishing the cool liquid and the slight burn in his throat. He relaxed even further, closed his eyes and felt the buzz from the tequila starting to kick in and spread through his body.

///

Miles weaved through the crowd, holding his Moscow mule with a death grip as he did all he could to avoid bumping into the people crowding around tables and generally making walking through the venue a real headache. He was disappointed to realize he probably wouldn't find a single empty table here given how crowded it was.

He was lucky enough to spot a few people climbing up a flight of stairs that seemed to lead to an upper level. A bloke making his way down nearly took a spill, but he managed to catch himself in the last second, then he disappeared into the crowd as if nothing had happened. Miles wasted no time in making his way in that direction with the hope of getting away from the maddening crowd.

A small eternity later, Miles made it up the stairs and was relieved to see that the upper floor was indeed far less crowded. Relief washed over him. Now all he had to do was find a quiet place to sit and enjoy his drink. It seemed as though most tables were occupied by at least one person though. As he realized this, Miles was slightly disappointed once again. Maybe he'd been too early to celebrate, it looked as though he might end up standing around looking over the balcony. 

He walked along, his eyes attentively scanning his surroundings. Reaching the farthest corner of the deck, Miles was about to give up his search entirely. Until he took notice of one table in particular. Beneath the dim overhead lights, he could see someone at the table. The person, the seemingly singular person in this far corner of the deck, looked as though they were napping. It occurred to Miles that he might be able to sit at the comfortable-looking booth if he introduced himself and promised not to disturb.

A flash of bright light from the floor below illuminated the face of the person at the booth - a decent-looking boy if Miles was being honest - as he lifted his head from the sofa to drink from his glass. Miles hesitated for a moment, he wasn't entirely sure what made him think twice, he considered turning back and trying to find a place to sit elsewhere, not wanting to make a nuisance of himself. He shook those thoughts from his head and began walking over to the booth. It appeared as if there was some inexplicable force compelling him to keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other. His eyes trained on the figure of the boy, watching him as he leaned back onto the sofa like he was in the comfort of his living room and not this packed bar. 

Alex was completely lost in his own thoughts, ignoring his surroundings the same way he hoped anyone nearby would ignore him. Though it was apparent everyone had been ignoring him in some way or another all night anyway. He kept his eyes closed as he leaned back on the sofa and felt the alcohol slowly work its way through his body. His head was beginning to spin and a pleasant buzz was setting in. The cold margarita on the table in front of him was without a doubt the best thing that had happened to him all night. The alcohol was steadily working its way through his body and he found himself feeling rather giddy with each passing minute. 

A familiar song began to blare from the speakers and Alex smiled to himself, lifting his head long enough to find his margarita and drink from the straw contently. The strong tequila burned at the back of his throat once again as he drank. Alex knew this would probably get him drunk a lot faster than he intended, but at this moment he couldn't possibly care any less about that. 

His brain barely registered a muffled sound nearby before the sensation of the sofa dipping suddenly pulled his attention to his right. Alex turned his head and was beyond surprised to see someone sliding into the booth. He suspected this bloke was no doubt pissed out of his mind and remembering the drunk on the stairs from earlier, he felt the urge to leave immediately. The sight of the bloke approaching made Alex sit up straight and start to shift away from the stranger. 

He'd barely had a few seconds to consider getting up from the booth and away from this bloke before those thoughts were interrupted by this guy sliding even closer. The bloke was in Alex's personal space now, his face unexpectedly closer to Alex's as he leaned in. "I hope you don't mind me joining you," The boy called, his Scouse accent flowing rather pleasantly into Alex's ears. "My name's Miles. Nice to meet you."

Miles stretched his hand out to Alex with a smile. Hesitating for a brief moment at the mere unexpected nature of this encounter, Alex reached out and shook Miles' hand. He noted the contrast between a few distinctive calluses on his hand and the softness of the rest of it. "I'm Alex," He replied, matching Miles' friendly smile with one of his own. "Delighted," Miles replied, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. 

Miles lifted the metal mug in his hand toward his face, "Cheers," He uttered in Alex's direction, stealing a quick glance at the boy before tipping the mug back and taking a hearty drink from it. 

Alex was a bit slow to return the toast, given that he hadn't been expecting it, but when his eyes lifted in Miles' direction, he could have sworn the other boy's gaze was entirely focused on him for the split second before Miles took a drink from the mug he was holding.

Miles cleared his throat briskly and proceeded to put down his mug on the table. Alex watched him as he did so, unsure of what to say.

"Are you here by yourself?" Miles asked, aware that the other boy was watching him attentively. He hoped he might be able to get some conversation from him at the very least. Alex was without a doubt quite captivating and pleasing to the eyes.

"I am now. My mates have all disappeared," He admitted, a sigh punctuated the end of his statement. He hoped Miles didn't catch that. It didn't escape him how needy that sigh made him sound. "I'll probably call it a night soon if I'm honest." He concluded, lifting his glass up to take a long sip from his margarita. 

Miles felt like he'd been punched in the gut at that statement. _"Shit,"_ His internal monologue cursed, _"Did I scare him off?"_

"What about you?" Alex questioned, "Didn't look like you're here with anyone. Are you by yourself?" 

Something in Miles' chest made him feel warm at Alex's question. He wanted to know if he was alone too. " _Pull yourself together, Kane,"_ His monologue advised, _"He's just making conversation."_

"Yeah," Miles said. "All my mates ditched me," He admitted with an ironic smile on his face. He'd at least found a bit of company, so the night wasn't a total loss.

Alex nodded at Miles' reply, then gulped down the last of his drink in one go. This move took Miles entirely by surprise. It was unexpected, to say the least. He watched as Alex sat his glass down on the table and leaned forward toward Miles, an equally unexpected move that made Miles' heart skip a beat.

"I'm going to get another drink," Alex declared next to Miles' ear. He could feel Alex's breath on the side of his neck and he felt himself shiver quietly at the sensation. He was practically frozen in place where he sat.

"I'll go with you," Miles blurted out. The words were out of his mouth before he'd even had a chance to think about what he was saying. In a matter of seconds, he was on his feet and trailing after Alex, eager to keep up and not lose him in the crowd that awaited them on the floor below.

Trailing after Alex like a long time friend would, seemed to come effortlessly to Miles. He truly felt as if he'd known Alex all his life. _"It must be the alcohol,"_ His inner monologue reasoned, but Miles knew alcohol had never made him feel like this over anyone. He couldn't even begin to comprehend what was happening to him tonight, and he didn't much feel like trying to reason it at the present moment.

///

Just a few minutes later, Alex had another cold margarita in hand. And so did Miles. When they'd finally arrived at the bar and the bartender asked what they wanted to drink, Miles wasted no time in replying, "The same as him," When Alex asked for a margarita. They stood near the bar, waiting while the bartender prepared their drinks and thankfully in the meantime, a space cleared near the bar, wide enough for the both of them to stand side by side.

Much to Miles' delight, Alex had ordered a frozen double margarita and the tequila was pleasantly working its way into his system with every sip. He'd been worried that he would inevitably lose track of Alex in the crowd, but thankfully, it seemed as though the crowd of drunks had been slightly less relentless this time around. Maybe it had more to do with the fact that Miles was now making his way through the crowd with purpose, unlike last time.

Miles watched fixedly as Alex took long gulps from his drink as soon as he had it in his hand. The trance wasn't broken until Alex pulled the glass away from his mouth, his eyes shut tight and a scrunched up expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" Miles asked, slightly concerned. It appeared that Alex's face was stuck on that expression, so he figured something was wrong.

Alex shook his head as if trying to dispel a thought. Miles couldn't take his eyes off Alex whose eyes were still tightly shut.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Alex replied. His free hand came up to scrub up and down the base of his skull. Miles wasn't convinced by Alex's response. It was then that the cause of Alex's ailment finally clicked in Miles' head. He leaned closer, trying to coax the boy into opening his eyes and when he did the tip of his nose touched the skin of Alex's cheek. 

Alex had seemingly lost his balance and his body tipped forward in Miles' direction. Miles caught him, stopping him from stumbling any further. When he did, his arm inevitably wrapped around Alex's torso and his nose and lips brushed the boy's cheek. The contact lasted no more than a few seconds, yet it made Miles' core warm.

Alex's breath hitched in his throat and a sudden rush of warmth made its way through his body. He'd made a fool of himself for sure, but he hadn't expected Miles to be close enough to catch him. Or to feel the other boy's lips on his skin. He wanted to say something but his brain couldn't form coherent thoughts, let alone words. His mouth felt as if it'd been glued shut. 

"Alex?" Miles asked, and Alex could hear the concern in his voice. Miles called his name directly next to his ear, his breath ghosting over the skin of his neck. How could he possibly give a coherent answer under these conditions?

It was quickly becoming clear to him that he'd been screwed the moment he noticed Miles' eyes looking intently at him as if he were the brightest star in the night sky. He thought he'd imagined it, but it certainly didn't seem like such an imaginary observation now.

Keeping his eyes closed, Alex took a deep breath and did his best to compose himself. He slowly opened his eyes to find Miles giving him a concerned look.

"I'm ok. ‘S just a brain freeze," Alex finally spoke up, confirming Miles' earlier suspicion. Miles laughed at Alex's response. There wasn't a single hint of mocking in his laugh, Alex saw that this is the kind of laughter one would receive from a friend after telling a funny story. He couldn't help but laugh right along with Miles. The boy's laughter was entirely too contagious to resist.

"Maybe you ought to slow down, then," Miles suggested, his laughter dying down. Alex couldn't keep the smile off his lips as he looked at Miles. His pulse felt like it had sped up and there was that same inexplicable warmth from before spreading through his body once again. As much as Alex wanted to blame it on the alcohol, he suspected this had absolutely nothing to do with the margarita or its alcohol content. 

"Maybe," He replied with a mischievous smirk that had Miles feeling as tingly as he would after drinking a shot of vodka. Miles watched as Alex absentmindedly traced his finger along the circumference of the glass in his hand, disturbing the condensation that had started forming on it while he made irregular patterns.

Miles wondered briefly what the other boy was thinking about as he concentrated on Alex's finger and the patterns it traced on the glass. He watched silently, focused entirely on Alex, whose eyes were fixated entirely on the glass in his hand. Whatever trance Alex was in was suddenly broken after a few seconds of contemplating the glass in his hands. 

The boy picked up the glass and drank from it. Miles observed, oddly entranced by the movement of Alex’s throat as he tipped the glass back and drank with abandon, as though he hadn’t just had a brain freeze. Miles felt his own throat become slightly dry, suddenly parched, he lifted his own glass up to his lips to take a long drink from it as well. 

Miles drank from his glass until he felt the familiar ache of a brain freeze take hold at the back of his skull. He’d obviously learned nothing from Alex’s experience. He took the glass away from his mouth and shut his eyes, feeling slightly disoriented as the alcohol burned his throat and his head spun faster by the second.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Alex looking at him with a knowing smile. “You alright?” Alex asked though it seemed that he already knew the answer. Miles stroked the back of his skull with his hand, hoping to dispel the discomfort. He looked at Alex and couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips. “Brain freeze,” Miles admitted, laughing at himself and leaning against the counter to keep himself upright. He could see Alex turn away from him, attempting to conceal the way he was trying to hold back from laughing at Miles’ mishap.

Alex once again lifted the glass with what remained of his margarita to his lips with the intent of finishing it. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Miles do the same. Whether consciously or not, he isn’t sure. He focuses his gaze on Miles and sees the way the boy smiles to himself before starting to gulp down what remains of his margarita. 

The Scouse practically chugged the rest of his drink, without any regard for the familiar ache at the back of his skull. Not wanting to be outdone, Alex picked up his glass and matched Miles’ every move, downing his own drink in long gulps. Miles knew the other boy was likely getting another brain freeze in the process, but he was impressed by his resilience. 

Miles set his glass down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before stroking the back of his skull in an attempt to ease the dull ache of the brain freeze. Alex closed his es and shook his head as if protesting the freezing ache chilling his head. Miles started to let out a quiet laugh, but the sound died in his throat when he saw Alex start to move away.

“Excuse me,” Alex mumbled, walking away slowly, making sure he wouldn’t face plant onto the floor if he moved too suddenly. Miles watched helplessly, his head still spinning from having drunk that margarita as quickly as he did. His focus shifting between keeping his balance and keeping track of Alex. In the span of a few blinks, Alex had walked a lot further than Miles would’ve expected in his state. He couldn’t possibly let Alex wander off like that, the boy seemed to be utterly disoriented.

He walked as fast as he was able to and realized quickly just how drunk he was at that moment. Though Alex’s steps were deliberate and slow, he was moving away too fast for Miles’ liking. He couldn’t stop himself from worrying about the boy, the way he’d simply started walking away had Miles thinking something might be wrong. If he could only catch up then he could ask Alex what’s wrong. His head was spinning out of control and making it far more difficult to remain upright in order to keep up with Alex.

///

Alex surprised himself by being able to make it through the maze of people crowded around the side of the dancefloor without incident. He felt his heart pounding in his chest like a jackhammer after downing the rest of his margarita. It was a sickening feeling which was only made worse by the creeping feeling in his lungs like he simply couldn’t get enough oxygen. 

He tripped over his own feet a couple of times while walking through the crowd, but now that he’d reached the short hallway that led to the restrooms he could use the wall for support, and he did. The music blared, and Alex could feel the rhythmic vibrations beneath the palm of his hand while using the wall to hold himself upright. The soundwaves travelled along the floor too, he could feel the ground beneath his boots shake with the drumbeat of the song being played.

Alex’s head started to spin even more than before as if it weren’t spinning viciously already. An overpowering wave of dizziness overtook him and it looked like his vision was starting to play tricks on him by making his surroundings appear to spin and move in slow motion. Miraculously, he arrived at the right restroom and wasted no time pushing open the door and stepping through in one monumentally dizzying movement.

He walked up to the sink and turned on the water letting it run while he cupped his hands under the steady stream flowing from the faucet. The water was icy cold, but that’s exactly what he needed. He raised his palms up to his face and dipped forward to splash the freezing water on his face. Despite the disorienting dizziness gripping him, Alex’s thoughts turned to Miles. The Scouse was certainly quite handsome. He had to admit to himself that he’d been captivated by the inquisitiveness of Miles’ eyes and the electrifying energy he radiated while still somehow remaining mysterious and serene.

Alex continued picturing Miles’ face in his mind’s eye, trying desperately to recall every aspect of it, though the dim lighting of the bar hadn’t allowed him to get as good an image as he would’ve liked. This kind of immediate attraction, dare he call it attraction? It certainly felt like it; Wasn’t something that happened often. Or at all, if he was being completely honest with himself.

Flashbacks of Miles’ eyes and face continued to fill his thoughts as he stared down at the sink and the stream of water. Alex truly couldn’t conceal the fact that Miles was beginning to stir up an attraction in him. It would be pointless to try and lie to himself, he’d be doing himself a disservice by failing to recognize his emotions.

Alex smiled to himself as one particular detail came into focus in his mind, Miles’ lips. His thoughts started to wander of their own accord now, he thought of just how kissable and inviting Miles’ lips looked. He could see himself cradling Miles’ face in his hands and slowly pulling him into a kiss. That was quite a pleasing scenario. Alex indulged himself, allowing his imagination to show him an image of him taking things a step further and gently biting the soft flesh of MIles’ lower lip. Imagining Miles’ eager groan sent a shiver down his spine.

The restroom door opened, letting in the music and noise from the world outside flow freely into the room, effectively startling Alex and pulling him out of his enthralling daydream. Once he realized someone else was in the room with him, the magic was lost and his thoughts wandered away from Miles. He felt somewhat guilty for having indulged that daydream now, he couldn’t help but feel like the images in his head might as well be projected on a screen for all to see. It was irrational to think that anyone might know what was passing through his mind, but he couldn’t stop the creeping feeling like he’d been caught stealing a precious jewel.

All he could do was hope that whoever had just walked in was paying him no mind. He went back to splashing cold water onto his face in hopes of clearing his head. The sound of approaching footsteps set Alex on alert and he felt his heartbeat pick up inside his chest. He quickly wiped the remaining moisture from his face and opened his eyes only to be met with the image of Miles in the mirror. Miles was standing directly behind him.

He hadn’t expected to be followed, much less by the very subject of his earlier reverie. Alex was now effectively frozen in place. He found himself unable to form coherent thoughts or words, so all he could do was stand there, staring at Miles’ reflection in the mirror, praying that the boy couldn’t read his mind. A few seconds ticked by in silence because he couldn’t make himself say a single word.

“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Miles commented, seeing the expression of panic on Alex’s face. He took a couple of steps to the right, moving to lean against the wall for support, not breaking eye contact with Alex as he did so. The entirety of Miles’ attention was focused on Alex and he hoped that the other boy could see it. He waited patiently for a reply.

Alex swallowed, noticing that his throat felt as dry as the Sahara all of a sudden. His head was still spinning and he couldn’t make himself speak. The silence dragged on. The sound of the faucet running felt as if it were echoing off the walls despite the music blaring just beyond the door. 

Not knowing what else to do, Alex cupped his hands under the water once more and splashed more cold water on his face before running his hands through his hair to comb it back into place. He was shamelessly trying to buy himself some time. 

Alex bit the inside of his cheek and tried to put on a neutral expression before turning to face Miles. By the time he turned in Miles’ direction, he saw that Miles was now standing next to him. A shiver ran up his spine.

“You feeling alright?” Miles asked him, looking him directly in the eyes and not giving him any kind of out. “Yeah. I’m alright,” Alex replied, nodding automatically and trying to sound convincing. “I think I’ll be calling a cab soon though.” He added, sounding almost displeased with the statement.

“Boring you that much, am I?” Miles joked. Alex was quick to answer, “No, it’s not that.” He went quiet, running his hands through his hair once more and then straightening out the collar of his jacket, though it wasn’t crooked. “I’ve just... I’ve got to go.” He mumbled.

And without another word, Alex stumbled out of the restroom. He staggered along the long, empty hallway that led back out to the dancefloor, the music blaring around him only enhancing the disorienting feeling creeping up on him. 

His surroundings quickly went from desolate to absolutely packed with bodies which he did his best to avoid colliding with while staggering along. He could tell Miles wasn't far behind, he'd heard the boy's footsteps behind him in the empty corridor. The alcohol in his system was definitely fucking with him. All he wanted was some fresh air and for things to stop spinning out of control. He would've loved to explain all this to Miles instead of simply running off, but he wasn't sure if it would make sense in his inebriated state.

Miles kept the other boy in his line of sight since he hadn't caught up to him yet. He'd called Alex's name in hopes of getting the boy to stop, but Alex made no effort to stop. If anything, it was like the boy couldn't get away fast enough. It was so confusing because Miles was almost sure that there'd been signs the other boy was enjoying his company. Or had he been completely wrong this entire time?

Alex was quickly gaining distance and Miles wanted so desperately to catch up to him and say goodbye at the very least. Miles wasn't sure that was going to happen though.

Alex walked as fast as he could manage, nearly bumping into a few people, but he barely avoided them. Distracted by the handful of people he'd just dodged, he failed to notice the tall, muscular body he was about to collide with until it was too late. He wasn't quick enough to avoid this person, and the the next thing he knew, there was an unignorable pain along the front of his head. His head was already spinning before, but this only made it worse. There was also an immediate sensation of cold liquid drenching his chest.

Alex's eyes looked up slowly from his chest and it was then that he finally caught sight of the auburn-haired man standing in front of him. There was a look of distaste and anger plastered on his face that made Alex's blood run cold.

Next thing he knew, two angry fists seized the lapels of his jacket, none too gently and it was at that moment that Alex realized he'd fucked up monumentally. Before he could move to try and apologize, Alex was being shoved backward into whoever had the misfortune of being in the way.

"Look what the fuck you just made me do!" The irritation was clearly evident in the steely blue eyes staring back at him. The angry redhead clenched his fists and Alex could see tattoos on the knuckles of both hands along with the glint of metal across a few of them right before one of those fists made contact with his face, sending waves of pain to his jaw. 

Alex stumbled backwards from the powerful impact, knocking into whatever people and objects happened to be on his crash course before more pain followed. He gave way under the sharp force of the boot that connected with his ribs violently and painfully, swiftly knocking the wind out of his lungs. 

Alex coughed and sputtered and gasped for air but it seemed like nothing was reaching his lungs. He felt like he was being held underwater, struggling for air that might never come. He tensed up, taking shallow breaths trying desperately to get air into his lungs but it was ultimately useless. 

He waited for the next blow that was surely about to come, but instead, he heard what sounded like Miles' voice yelling over the beat of the music. The pain in his ribs quickly became impossible to bear and he was consumed by it. He tried to get oxygen into his lungs, but everything around him started fading out of focus, the sounds and flashes of movement faded out into silence and darkness like the end of a music video. 

///

Alex blinks. His surroundings look blurry and out of focus. He isn't sure where he is. It's eerily quiet here, so definitely not at the bar anymore. The room is dimly lit by a bedside lamp, he realizes. He's in bed, in /a/ bed, it's certainly not his bed. There's a blanket draped over him, though he still has all his clothes on, only his boots are missing, he realizes. He turns his head and notices a glass of water on the nightstand next to the bed. A small panic begins to form in his chest. Where is he? The startle has him starting to sit up and the immediate stab of pain in his ribs makes him groan loudly and clutch his side. He curls in on himself and gives up the attempt to sit up.

"Easy there, tiger," The voice is familiar, but Alex can't place where it's coming from at first because the pain in his ribs makes it hard to focus on anything else. He turns his head to the side and finally sees the body next to him on the bed.

Miles sits up slowly from where he's lying in bed beside Alex, letting out a wince as he does. Alex's eyes are trained entirely on him and when his eyes meet, Miles feels himself melt just a little. The situation is unreal. Who would've thought this unreasonably handsome boy would end up in bed with him? The circumstances are less than ideal, but still, unreal. Alex looks like a deer in the headlights, but the expression of concern that spreads over his face at the sound of his wincing makes Miles melt just a bit more. The sound of pain coming from Miles effectively broke the silence of the otherwise quiet room. He takes a deep, steadying breath before speaking.

"You got kicked in the ribs pretty hard," He says, sounding slightly out of breath. Like he's trying to keep his breathing even, Alex realizes. He turns his head carefully to get a proper look at Miles' face. His eyes are immediately drawn to Miles' face. The boy’s eyes are a warm and inviting shade of chocolate brown. Alex realizes he didn't get to see them properly back at the bar and now that he has, he's infinitely more captivated by them.

His observations are abruptly cut short when he notices the dull red gash along the length of his left cheekbone. There's also a dark purple mark on his other cheek, but Alex has a feeling he knows where that one came from. He's probably sporting one just like it on his own face. 

Alex wants to speak to Miles but he can't find his voice. The pain in his ribs keeps him from being able to form words, so he runs his index finger along his own cheek while his eyes are focused on Miles. The gesture is a wordless inquiry about the state of his face.

"Oh, this?" Miles asks, reaching up to run his hand near the cut. "It's nothing," He dismisses. "You should see the other guy," He continues, a smirk spreading across his lips though he knows he's still in pain from having his arse handed to him trying to defend Alex.

The truth is that after knocking Alex to the ground and kicking the wind out of his lungs, the "other guy", a real neanderthal, did the very same thing to Miles. He'd been trailing after Alex, trying to catch up to him before he ran out of the bar after their encounter in the bathroom when he saw him walk directly into the unsuspecting mountain of a man. What Miles wasn't expecting was the dickhead's furious outburst. He looked on in shock as the brute delivered a punch to the face that quickly sent Alex to the floor and the kick to the ribs that made matters even worse for the helpless boy.

Miles knew he couldn't just stand by and watch as Alex got beat up. Without thinking of anything that wasn't defending Alex from the barbaric onslaught that was sure to come, Miles was standing in front of the angry beer-fueled brute with his arms spread.

"STOP!" He screamed as loud as he could, sure that everyone within a 10-foot radius could hear him over the blaring music. He moved to swing a punch at the aggressor, even though he had at least a solid 60 pounds of muscle on Miles. The brute dodged the attempted punch easily. 

Miles unknowingly left himself open to an attack, and it was then that the angry redhead charged at him like a crazed bull. In the blink of an eye, he'd been tackled to the ground and the redhead had delivered an excruciating punch to his face. His face had gotten cut on some object on the floor when he'd been tackled, but he didn't notice that until long after the attack had ended. And to add insult to injury the brute kicked him in the ribs just like he'd done to Alex.

Thankfully all the commotion had served to draw the attention of the security staff near the exit that Alex was trying to reach. The brawny, body-builder-looking men in all-black uniforms sprung into action and effortlessly hauled the riled up bully out the door like a child throwing a hissy fit. 

Miles had barely a handful of seconds to enjoy the sight of the troglodyte being hauled away by the security staff who dwarfed him in size before he once again turned his attention to Alex who was lying motionless on the floor just a few feet behind him. A crowd had gathered around him and they parted like the Red Sea as Miles approached, practically dragging himself over to Alex. 

His face started pulsing as the adrenaline began to fade, yielding to the pain that was steadily making itself known. The pain in his ribs was the only thing making it hard for Miles to reach Alex as quickly as he wanted to. It was hard to breathe and move, but he pushed past the pain. He knelt next to Alex, picking up the boy's head and resting it on his lap until other security staff members arrived to check on them. 

"Alex!" He called the boy's name while shaking his shoulder softly, hoping to wake him, but to no avail.

The security staff helped him to his feet despite his protests. Some part of him wanted to be the one to carry Alex away from the crowds, but the pain in his ribs made it more than clear he was in no condition to walk, let alone carry someone else.

They were both escorted to an empty green room where the security staff laid Alex down on a couch while they called for an ambulance. Miles protested, but the bar staff was having none of it. Less than 20 minutes later, the ambulance arrived and they were both examined. Miles didn't much care about the beating he'd received, his concern was entirely centred around Alex since the boy still hadn't woken up. 

The paramedics asked what their relationship was, and Miles was quick to declare, "I'm his boyfriend," with no hesitation, knowing they wouldn't tell him anything about Alex's condition if they knew the two of them had only just met. After that particular question was answered the paramedic who examined Alex informed him that there was no evidence of broken bones in his ribs, he was unconscious, yes, but he ought to be fine after some bed rest for a few days. 

Once they were both cleared by the paramedics Miles called a cab and one of the men from the bar's security team, a husky man named Daniel, rode with him to his flat to help him carry Alex. Miles cradled Alex in his arms the entire ride, his heart quietly racing inside his chest all the while. 

Alex felt cold to the touch, so Miles hugged him as close as the seatbelts would allow. The 15-minute cab ride seemed eternal and not nearly long enough at the same time. Miles was absolutely nowhere near ready to extricate Alex from his arms, but it had to be done. When they arrived at his building, Miles watched as Daniel picked up Alex from the backseat of the cab with ease and they walked to the elevator in silence. Miles thanked Daniel profusely for all his help before the man excused himself after having made sure both he and Alex had made it home okay.

Miles took off Alex's boots as gently as he could, and he thought of taking off his jacket too, but that would likely aggravate Alex's ribs so he decided against it. He draped a blanket over the boy and laid down on the other side of the bed, making himself as comfortable as he could in his state. He'd drifted in and out of consciousness a few times, each time looking over to Alex and watching his breathing until unconsciousness claimed him again. 

Miles is brought out of his recollection by Alex's smile. It's such a simple gesture, but it makes Miles' stomach do a flip. He's getting carried away again, but he can't bring himself to care. Just then, a coughing fit takes over Alex's fragile-looking frame. Miles can do nothing more than watch while a knot of concern twists his throat into a tangled mess. 

Alex feels as if his ribs are about to collapse in on themselves for the eternal seconds which the coughing fit lasts. Once he can breathe again, he clutches his side and lets out a pained whimper. Miles quickly slips his arms under Alex's back and carefully lifts the boy into a sitting position. 

Before he can think twice, Miles reaches out and sweeps a few stray hairs away from where they were falling over Alex's eyes. He smiles warmly at the boy and asks, "Want some water?" Alex nods in agreement, not once breaking eye contact with him. Miles takes the glass of water and holds it up to Alex's mouth for him to drink.

Alex drinks from the glass as though he hasn't seen water in months. The glass is empty in a handful of seconds. "Thank you," Alex says, his voice coming out slightly raspy despite all the water. "No problem," Miles replies, the same warm smile appearing on his lips, "Rest up now," He adds, walking around the bed to lay beside him once again.

He leaves the lamp on, they might need it later, even if dawn isn't too far off. Though he doesn't know it, beside him Alex is quietly trying to process everything that's gone on. He's been caught off guard in the best of ways by Miles' tenderness with him. 

The thing that makes Alex's heart skip a beat is just how absolutely _natural_ it all feels. Though his heart is securely contained in his ribcage, it feels as though it were floating like a feather in the wind. Things like this don't just happen in real life, do they? It all feels like something out of a corny romance novel. The warm feeling in his chest is almost excruciatingly real though.

Miles lays silently beside Alex as the minutes drift by. He's got his eyes closed, but he's probably as far from sleeping as he can be. He listens to the sounds of Alex's breathing beside him as they grow more and more even as time passes. Just when Miles thinks the boy beside him has fallen asleep, he's surprised by the feeling of a warm hand reaching out for his own. He opens his eyes just in time to see Alex entwining their fingers with a shy smile on his lips. He returns the smile without saying a word. There's hardly a need to, he thinks. 

**Author's Note:**

> Leave me a comment. I really would like to hear your thoughts on this.


End file.
